Canon ELPH 520 HS vs Canon M5

The following is a in depth review of the Canon ELPH 520 HS and Canon M5, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless and both of them are built by Canon. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the ELPH 520 HS (10MP) and M5 (24MP) and the ELPH 520 HS (1/2.3") and M5 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ELPH 520 HS was launched 5 years earlier than the M5 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Canon ELPH 520 HS being a Ultracompact camera and the Canon M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the ELPH 520 HS scores against the M5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon ELPH 520 HS and Canon EOS M5. The complete galleries are viewable at Canon ELPH 520 HS Gallery and Canon M5 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Canon ELPH 520 HS provides physical measurements of 87mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.4" x 2.1" x 0.7") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Canon M5 has proportions of 116mm x 89mm x 61mm (4.6" x 3.5" x 2.4") along with a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs).

Check out the Canon ELPH 520 HS and Canon M5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the ELPH 520 HS and the M5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ELPH 520 HS and M5 is 96 and 77 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to see the difference between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specs. The image underneath will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the ELPH 520 HS and M5.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ELPH 520 HS because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Canon M5 will give you greater detail utilizing its extra 14 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged ELPH 520 HS is going to be behind in sensor tech.